Draft gear rigging for railroad cars



Oct. 5, 1965 v. s. DANIELSON ETAL 3,209,921

DRAFT GEAR RIGGING FOR RAILROAD CARS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 3, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS.

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Oct. 5, 1965 v. s. DANIELSON ETAL DRAFT GEAR RIGGING FOR RAILROAD CARS Filed Oct. 5, 1963 m T/ f w United States Patent 3,209,921 DRAFT GEAR RIGGING FOR RAILROAD CARS Vernon S. Danielson and Robert W. Gierlach, Chicago,

Ill., assignors to Standard Car Truck Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Filed Oct. 3, 1963, Ser. No. 313,547 8 Claims. (Cl. 213-1) This invention relates to improvements in draft gear rigging for railroad cars and has for one object to provide a new and improved apparatus for supporting and positioning the cushioning unit which forms an essential part of a draft gear coupling.

Another object is to provide a supporting tray for the cushioning unit which will position the unit in the draft yoke.

Another object is to provide a supporting tray or pan for the cushioning element which moves with the housing of the cushion and with the follower block associated with the draft yoke.

The drawing and description are limited to those essential elements of a draft gear rigging which are associated with the cushion. The details of such a draft gear rigging with which this invention could well be used and its location in the car are disclosed in copending application Serial No. 208,540, filed July 9, 1962, in the name of Vernon S. Danielson, entitled Draft Gear Rigging for Railroad Cars.

Other objects will appear from time to time throughout the specification and claims.

The invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings, wherein FIGURE 1 is a horizontal section showing parts in elevation;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical section showing parts in elevation;

FIGURE 3 is a section along the line 3-3 of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a section along the line 44 of FIG- URE 2.

Like parts are indicated by like characters throughout the specification and drawings.

A railroad car has a center sill 1, U-shaped in cross section, closed at the bottom by a bottom plate 2. This center sill extends longitudinally of the car from end to end in the usual way. Integral with the center sill is a guide sleeve 3 which guides a compression tube 4, extending longitudinally of the center sill, abutting at both ends on draft yoke lugs 5 of draft yoke butts 6, there being one at each end of the car with the compression tube between them. A description of one draft yoke and associated parts, since they are identical, suffices for both.

The draft yoke includes a butt 6 on the inboard end of the yoke. Extending outwardly toward the end of the car from the butt adjacent both sides of the center sill are vertical yoke straps 7. The straps 7 are tied together at their outboard ends by a yoke extension 8 which receives the coupler shank 9, the yoke extension 8 being slotted at 10 to receive the key 11 in coupler shank 9. The yoke extension 8 is supported and guided at the coupler or outboard end thereof by a wear plate 12 and at its inner end by the engagement of yoke lug 5 in guide sleeve 3. Thus the draft yoke is open at topand bottom and the yoke straps 7 define an elongated pocket which can receive the housing 14 of the draft cushion which includes a cushion stem 15 and a cushion head 16.

A rear follower plate 17 within the draft yoke rests against the butt 6, is concave to receive the convex end of the cushion housing 14. A forward follower plate 18, abutting against front draft lugs 30 is concave to engage "ice the convex cushion head 16 and is contacted on its opposite side by the end of the coupler shank 9 which is slidable in the yoke extension 8.

The yoke is guided for longitudinal movement by the yoke lug 5 in the guide sleeve 3 at the inboard end and by the yoke extension 8 which at the outboard end is free to travel along the striker wear plate 19 in the striker 20. The follower plate 18 is free to travel along the lower wear plate 21 on the bottom plate 2. An upper cradle wear plate 22 on the lower wear plate 21 supports a cradle or tray 23. This tray has an end wall 24 and an intermediate cushion supporting wall 25 to define a pocket to receive the lower portion of the follower block 17. The intermediate wall 25 is arcuate, the radius of the arc being slightly greater than the radius of the cushion housing 14. Extending forwardly from the Wall 25 is a horizontal cushion supporting rib 26 upon which the housing 14 rests, the housing also resting on the arcuate wall 25. Extending upwardly from the tray 23 and forwardly from the wall 25 and tapering inwardly are side walls 27 which terminate in upwardly extending limit lugs 28 on both sides of the housing 14, the rib and walls and the lugs terminating just short of the end of the housing.

The cushion is thus positioned between the two follower blocks and supported by the tray, the tray always moving with the inner or rear follower block 17 as the yoke moves back and forth under draft or buff.

In buff, with respect to the coupler and drive yoke assembly at the end of the car from which the buff comes, the coupler shank abutting the follower plate 18 applies pressure through the cushion 14 and follower plate 17 to the yoke butt 6, compressing the cushion and moving the yoke toward the bulfing lugs 29. As this movement occurs, the tray 23 carrying the cushion moves with the cushion and yoke in unison, the outer follower block 18 moving inwardly toward the yoke as the cushion compresses.

In the structure illustrated, the cushion housing 14 is a hydraulic shock absorber. Since such shock absorbers are velocity sensitive and their resistance builds up with velocity, maximum forces are obtained before follower block 17 engages the rear stop, thus eliminating the possibility of carrying overload shocks into the car bodies by means of the rear stops, that is to say, in buff on the struck end the block 17 is not expected to contact the stops 29 unless some element of the system fails.

With respect to the operation at the other end of the car, that is the end away from the struck end, the compression tube 4 as it is displaced by the yoke lug 5 at the other end of the car moves in FIGURES l and 2 toward the left and applies pressure to the cushion 14 urging the follower plate 18 into contact with the draft lugs 30.

In draft, as distinguished from in buff, the key in the coupler shank moves along the slot to the outer end thereof and draws the yoke extension 8 outwardly, moving the yoke outwardly to cause the outer follower block or plate 18 to contact the draft lugs 30. At this point compression of the cushion commences and the yoke is moved to the left toward the end of the car, the butt 6 driving the follower block 17 toward the left to apply pressure to the cushion to compress it. Under these circumstances the tray and cushion move together as a unit depending entirely on the movement of the outer follower lsleck 18 which controls the position of the tray.

The tray supports the cuhsion and also limits transverse displacement in, without contact with the yoke, thus leaving the cushion free to expand and contract as stresses are applied to it.

We claim:

1. In combination, a railroad car center sill, a draft yoke and means for supporting and guiding it for movea ment longitudinally of the sill, bufling and draft lugs spaced along the sill limiting longitudinal movement of the yoke, cushion means associated with the yoke, a tray upon which the cushion rests and means for longitudinally displacing the tray and cushion in unison,

the tray including a transverse upwardly extending wall bounded by a curved surfac-e tangent to but of greater radius than the cushion, the cushion resting on the wall at the lowest portion of the curved surface.

2. In combination, a railroad car center sill, a draft yoke and means for supporting and guiding it for movement longitudinally of the sill, buffing and draft lugs spaced along the sill limiting longitudinal movement of the yoke, cushion means associated with the yoke, a tray upon which the cushion rests and means for longitudinally displacing the tray and cushion in unison,

the tray including a transverse upwardly extending wall bounded by a curved surface tangent to but of greater radius than the cushion, the cushion resting on the wall at the lowest portion of the curved surface,

a rib extending forwardly from said wall parallel with the axis of the cushion in contact therewith. 3. In combination, a railroad car center sill, a draft yoke and means for supporting and guiding it for movement longitudinally of the sill, buffing and draft lugs spaced along the sill limiting longitudinal movement of the yoke, cushion means associated with the yoke, a tray upon which the cushion rests and means for longitudinally displacing the tray and cushion in unison,

the tray including va transverse upwardly extending wall bounded by a curved surface tangent to but of greater radius than the cushion, the cushion resting on the wall at the lowest portion of the curved surface, a rib extending forwardly from said wall parallel with the axis of the cushion in contact therewith,

walls extending upwardly from the tray and forwardly from the cushion supporting wall, tapered inwardly, terminating in upwardly extending limit lugs on both sides of the cushion.

4. In combination, a railroad car center sill, a draft yoke and means for supporting and guiding it for movement longitudinally of the sill, bufling and draft lugs spaced along the sill limiting longitudinal movement of the yoke, a bottom plate carried by the center sill below and out of contact with the draft yoke, follower blocks within the yoke, one of them longitudinally movable along the bottom plate, a tray out of contact with the yoke, longitudinally movable along the upper wear plate, the tray being socketed to receive another of the follower blocks, a cushion loosely enclosed in the yoke interposed between said follower blocks and entirely supported by the tray.

5. In combination, a railroad car center sill, a draft yoke and means for supporting and guiding it for movement longitudinally of the sill, bufling and draft lugs spaced along the sill limiting longitudinal movement of the yoke, a bottom plate carried by the center sill below and out of contact with the draft yoke, follower blocks within the yoke, one of them longitudinally movable along the bottom plate, a tray longitudinally movable along said bottom plate, the tray being socketed to receive another of the follower blocks, a cushion enclosed in the yoke interposed between said follower blocks and supported by the tray,

the cushion including a cylindrical housing, the tray being longitudinally ribbed to engage the underside of the cylindrical housing, a curved top transverse wall extending laterally on both sides from the rib encircling but generally out of contact with the housing.

6. In combination, a railroad car center sill, a draft yoke and means for supporting and guiding it for movement longitudinally of the sill, buffing and draft lugs spaced along the sill limiting longitudinal movement of the yoke, a bottom plate carried by the center sill below and out of contact with the draft yoke, a lower wear plate carried by the bottom plate, an upper wear plate carried by the lower wear plate, follower blocks within the yoke, one of them longitudinally movable along the lower wear plate, a tray longitudinally movable along the upper wear plate, the tray being socketed to receive another of the follower blocks, a cushion enclosed in the yoke interposed between said follower blocks and supported by the tray,

the cushion including a cylindrical housing, the tray being longitudinally ribbed to engage the underside of the cylindrical housing, a curved top transverse wall extending laterally on both sides from the rib encircling but generally out of contact with the housing,

longitudinal walls extending forward and upwardly of the tray terminating in lugs on both sides of the housing extending upwardly thereabout but out of contact therewith above the rib.

7. In combination, a railroad car center sill, a draft yoke and means for supporting and guiding it for movement longitudinally of the sill, bufling and draft lugs spaced along the sill limiting longitudinal movement of the yoke, a tray supported for movement longitudinally of the sill out of contact with the yoke, a cushion means loosely enclosed by the yoke, resting upon and entirely supported by the tray and means for longitudinally displacing the tray and cushion in unison.

8. In combination, a railroad car center sill, a draft yoke and means for supporting and guiding it for movement longitudinally of the sill, bufling and draft lugs spaced along the sill limiting longitudinal movement of the yoke, a tray supported for movement longitudinally of the sill out of contact with the yoke, a cushion means loosely enclosed by the yoke, resting upon and entirely supported by the tray and means for longitudinally displacing the tray and cushion in unison,

said means including a follower plate interposed between the yoke and the cushion, the tray being pocketed to receive a portion of the follower plate.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,208,911 12/16 Camp 213-61 1,871,362 8/32 Dath 213-22 3,159,282 12/64 Gibson 213-21 3,159,283 12/64 Peterson 213-21 FOREIGN PATENTS 574,084 6/3 2 Germany.

MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner. LEO QUACKENBUSH, EUGENE G. BOTZ, Examiners. 

6. IN COMBINATION, A RAILROAD CAR CENTER SILL, A DRAFT YOKE AND MEANS FOR SUPPORTING AND GUIDING IT FOR MOVEMENT LONGITUDINALLY OF THE SILL, BUFFIG AND DRAFT LUGS SPACED ALONG THE SILL LIMITING LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT OF THE YOKE, A BOTTOM PLATE CARRIED BY THE CENTER SILL BELOW AND OUT OF CONTACT WITH THE DRAFT YOKE, A LOWER WEAR PLATE CARRIED BY THE BOTTOM PLATE, AN UPPER WEAR PLATE CARRIED BY THE LOWER WEAR PLATE, FOLLOWER BLOCKS WITHIN THE YOKE, ONE OF THEM LONGITUDINALLY MOVABLE ALONG THE LOWER WEAR PLATE, A TRAY LONGITUDINALLY MOVABLE ALONG THE UPPER WEAR PLATE, THE TRAY BEING SOCKETED TO RECEIVE ANOTHER OF THE FOLLOWER BLOCKS, A CUSHION ENCLOSED IN THE YOKE INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID FOLLOWER BLOCKS AND SUPPORTED BY THE TRAY, THE CUSHION INCLUDING A CYLINDRICAL HOUSING, THE TRAY BEING LONGITUDINALLY RIBBED TO ENGAGE THE UNDERSIDE OF THE CYLINDRICAL HOUSING, A CURVED TOP TRANSVERSE WALL EXTENDING LATERALLY ON BOTH SIDES FROM THE RIB ENCIRCLING BUT GENERALLY OUT OF CONTACT WITH THE HOUSING, LONGITUDINAL WALLS EXTENDING FORWARD AND UPWARDLY OF THE TRAY TERMINATING IN LUGS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE HOUSING EXTENDING UPWARDLY THEREABOUT BUT OUT OF CONTACT THEREWITH ABOVE THE RIB. 